Morphology and distribution of some marine diatoms, family Rhizosoleniaceae, genus Rhizosolenia, in Korean coastal waters

doi:2011.26.2.141

Algae > Volume 26(2); 2011 > Article

Algae 2011;26(2): 141-152. doi: https://doi.org/10.4490/algae.2011.26.2.141

Suk Min Yun¹,a, Sang Deuk Lee¹ and Jin Hwan Lee¹^,*

¹Department of Green Life Science, Sangmyung University, Seoul 110-743, Korea

*Corresponding Author

Email: jhlee@smu.ac.kr

ABSTRACT

The present study describes the morphology, taxonomy, and distribution of species belonging to the diatom genus Rhizosolenia in Korea’s marine coastal waters. From September 2008 to February 2010, we collected phytoplankton samples at 30 sites along the Korean coastline and studied them by light and scanning electron microscopy. We found 6 rhizosolenid genera in our samples: Rhizosolenia, Dactyliosolen, Guinardia, Pseudosolenia, Proboscia, and Neocalyptrella. In the present paper, we studied the following rhizosolenid species and compared them with congeners: R. pungens, R. fallax, R. imbricata, Rhizosolenia sp. 1, and Rhizosolenia sp. 2. The morphology of R. pungens exhibits important diagnostic characteristics in its girdle segment structure in the column and in its external process. To distinguish R. fallax and R. imbricata, the most important characteristics are the striation and the velum structure. R. pungens occurred in our samples all along the Korean coast. Only rarely did we find R. imbricata in the samples and at low abundance. We recorded R. fallax, Rhizosolenia sp. 1 and Rhizosolenia sp. 2 for the first time in Korean waters, but they rarely occurred.

Key words: distribution; Korean waters; morphology; Rhizosolenia; scanning electron microscopy; taxonomy